'Do you have any conscience at all?' Cabby drives off after dropping old lady with dementia at wrong location

A simple lunch appointment turned into a nightmare for an 88-year-old woman and her newly-hired helper after their taxi driver dropped the pair off at the wrong location, leaving the duo stranded. 

The woman's daughter, Agnes Ho, took to local Facebook group Complaint Singapore last Saturday (June 25) to complain about the irresponsible driver.

Ho wrote in her post that she had booked a ComfortDelGro taxi for her mother with dementia and her helper from 865 Tampines Street to Blk 7 Toh Yi Drive. 

However, the taxi driver dropped the pair off at Toh Tuck Drive instead, about 900m away from the intended destination. 

Realising that her mother was not dropped off at the correct location, Ho tried calling the taxi driver, to no avail.

Ho wrote that she contacted ComfortDelGro's call centre, and they admitted that the driver was at fault after checking their system

Ho and her cousin decided to go look for her mother and they eventually found the elderly woman and her helper sitting forlornly and lost at a bus stop. 

She was charged $30.33 for the trip. 

Ending off her post, Ho asked the driver: "Do you have any conscience at all?" 

When contacted by AsiaOne, ComfortDelGro said that they are aware of the incident and their investigations revealed that the cabby admitted to making a mistake and dropping Ho's mother and the helper at Toh Tuck Drive instead of Toh Yi Drive.

"He realised this soon after, and had returned to look for them but was unsuccessful. We have reprimanded him and the customer service agent for their lapses," said ComfortDelGro Corporation's group chief branding and communications officer Tammy Tan.

It is not known when the taxi driver returned to look for the duo. 

The company said they have reached out to Ho to convey their deepest apologies to her, her mother and the helper. They will also be giving her a full refund for the fares and will be visiting the family to check on her well-being.

"We will reinforce in our cabbies the need to ascertain the destination with the passengers, and also to watch out for vulnerable groups such as seniors and children. We are sorry for this incident," said Tan.

Ho's post has received more than 430 reactions and 100 comments from netizens, who were enraged by the driver's actions. 

One netizen remarked that the taxi driver had "no heart", while another said his actions were "totally unacceptable". 

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claudiatan@asiaone.com